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Lest We Forget: From LOMA to POSA
Public meeting commemorating the 1960 protests
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
Harare, July 24, 2003

Please note that this is a summary of the points presented by Mr Tekere. It does not represent a direct transcript or exact quotations from his speech, and thus should not be used as verbatim citations of the presentation. Instead, they merely provide an indication of what the speaker discussed.

Tekere opened his presentation by stating his intention to provide his perceptions and reflections on the past, in order to suggest and define the way forward.

He told the audience that during the July 1960 riots, he was in "the thick of it," as he was then the Secretary of the Salisbury District Council of the National Democratic Party (NDP).

With this brief introduction, Tekere turned his attention to the present. He informed the audience that he would discuss political parties, and warned that he would be particularly overbearing on the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Firstly, said Tekere, one must acknowledge that the MDC exists, and is indeed the "most senior" of the political parties. He stated that the party has Members of Parliament because it has supporters. But, he warned, there is a burden that accompanies that respect.

Tekere acknowledged that Zimbabwe is currently in a crisis, and stated that in order to determine the way forward, one must define where we are today.

To this end, Tekere focussed on the "land grab," emphasising that the land had indeed been "grabbed." He stated this as an irreversible process, at least insofar as it had progressed to date. He stated that one must accept it as having happened, and determine the way forward based on that reality.

Tekere reminded the audience that the Lancaster House process almost broke down because of the land question, and stated that he did not think there could have been any other way to achieve equitable distribution of land without first compulsory acquisition of land.

He suggested that there were two ways to equitably distribute land. The first he described as the nationalisation of all land, so that all people were tenants on the land, and no one had ownership. In this situation, the State would determine land use patterns.

Tekere informed the audience that in 1988, when he was the Secretary General of Zanu PF, he gave an address at the University of Zimbabwe in which he complained that he was "fearful that the flame of revolution was threatened with extinction. I hope that only a flicker survives."

In explaining this remark, he stated that Robert Mugabe had done a revolutionary act in the compulsory acquisition of land. He told the audience that revolutions, by their nature, cause pain and suffering. He further described the entire land reform process as initiated by Mugabe as "a real mess." He said that Mugabe admitted it as such, which is why he had established the Presidential Land Review Committee, under Charles Utete, in an effort to clean up that mess.

Tekere acknowledged that he is no longer the leader of any political party, particularly given that ZUM is now, as he described it, defunct.

Therefore, he recommended that all Zimbabweans, particularly members of the MDC, join in the campaign to clean up the mess caused by the revolutionary move to compulsively acquire land.

Tekere stated that Zimbabwe needs group commitment to cleaning up the current mess. He recommended that the MDC be represented in Utete's committee. Acknowledging that "revolutions do leave some dead," he said that if there are any dead, we should bury them together.

He stated that the current situation was largely a factor of the war of liberation and the war veterans. Tekere reminded the audience that he himself is a war veteran, and is in fact a "chef" of the war veterans, and was one of the top commanders in the bush. He stated that he is the patron of the war veterans for Manicaland Province, just as Mugabe is the national patron. He confided in the audience that he didn't know what had happened. He said that when the MDC was formed, he discussed with many of his fellow war veterans, and many of them were keen to join the new party, as they could see the state of ruin which Zimbabwe was in, and worried about it. Many of them wondered if the new party could bring hope. They looked at the decline of Zimbabwe, and wondered why they had snuck across borders to train, fought so hard and risked so much if this is how things were turning out.

Tekere stated that whatever their attributes and advantages, war veterans are national. They went to war to fight for everyone. But, he said, along the way the war veterans became possessed. He queried how this had happened. He stated that war veterans have become Zanu PF's "appendage," and that Zanu PF has taken advantage of them and uses its control over them to ruthlessly put down the opposition. This, he said, describes the organisation of which he is a patron. And, he said, "Something must be done." He reminded the audience that the war of liberation was national. Therefore, there should be no partisan manipulation, and people should disengage from that.

He declared that Mugabe, and Zanu PF, were very guilty for completely utilising every criminal element in the war veterans. He called this an "impostor element," and stated that it was at the forefront of silencing the opposition. Tekere demanded that Zanu PF disengage from certain attitudes, particularly that of using war veterans as "dogs" against the opposition.

He said that when it came time for elections, many war veterans were interested in the MDC, as discussed above. However, at that time they had recently been given their pensions, and they feared that the MDC would take these away. He said that war veteran's read some of the MDC's attitudes as inimical to the values of the liberation struggle, and particularly to those who fought for it.

Tekere said that tremendous damage had been done by the manipulation of the war veterans, and told the audience that he did not know how Zimbabwe will change that and ensure that war veterans again belong to the nation, and are not treated as a partisan appendage.

He said that he was asking political parties to "cooperate with Zanu PF and help clean up the mess." He stated, however, that Zanu PF must also pay a price, and must also clean up its mess.

Tekere mourned the wave of corruption eating the fabric of leadership within Zanu PF. He told the audience that he called it "plunder" and was sacked by the party because of that.

He said that the MDC should also demand that Zanu PF clean itself up. He said that he was a founding member of Zanu PF, and told the audience "my heart bleeds" that it is now in such a mess, when it ought to be the other way around. He said that Zanu PF "has become feared, when it should be respected." He said that he was glad that a lot of the rot came after he had left, so that he could not be associated with it. Addressing Mugabe, Tekere said "flex your muscle inside, and clean up the filth within your own party."

Tekere regretted that while people wanted land for the populace, the "land grab" had instead resulted in land for the "chefs." That, he said is what Utete must clean up. Not, he said, that land should go back to the whites, but that equitable distribution should be achieved.

He then discussed the question of a transition process, illegitimate government, and transition leading to new elections. He said that one thing was clear, that Zimbabwe should not go into another election without a new Constitution. He said that they must change the Constitution before a new election, or the next election would also be illegitimate. He said that a new constitution was an imperative to prevent "obnoxious legislation," including the Public Order and Security Act (POSA).

He said that he saw a new constitution as a priority, and this is why he supported the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA). He said that there has been a task force active in research and production of a draft constitution, and that Zimbabwe is not far from having a new constitution. Tekere reminded the audience that Zanu PF has never said it does not want a new constitution. But after the people rejected their draft, the Constitution was no longer a priority for the party. Therefore, he urged the people to agitate for a new Constitution, particularly given that Mugabe was already campaigning for the next Parliamentary elections with the same old constitution. He said that he did not hear any agitation from the MDC regarding the Constitution, particularly when Mbeki and Obasanjo came, despite the fact that a new Constitution is the most important requirement.

Tekere reminded the audience that Zimbabwe is a country in crisis. He said the country is staggering on. He said that there is a certain grouping of people in the country, enterprising blacks who are pulling through despite the difficulties, and who are responsible for Zimbabwe's capacity to continue to survive. He said that these youthful entrepreneurs, such as Saviour Kasukwere and Gideon Gono, who are helping to finance the new farmers like Mutuma Mawere, who contribute to the nation so that it continues to limp on.

But, he said, we all have a duty to help Zanu PF clean up the current mess in the country. He said he wants a ruling party that is clean.

Tekere told the audience that Zimbabwe was better off with the Rhodesian-era Law and Order Maintenance Act (LOMA). He expressed his dismay at the fact that Tsvangirai had been put in leg irons and hand cuffs and paraded to court in shorts. He said that Mugabe teases Tsvangirai about his bigger body, and then when the international community spits on Zimbabwe, he is surprised. He said that it is unthinkable to take a respected gentleman and treat him like that.

Tereke gave an example of when himself, Takawira, Mugabe and others were detained under LOMA. He said that the Chief Superintendent at Salisbury Prison got angry with them, and took them into a big hall. They were required to strip completely naked and stand in front of each other. The Superintendent then turned his baton stick on Takawira, and brought a dog into the room to also attack Takawira. The whole while, they were forced to stand naked in front of each other, respected party leaders that they were.

He said that they got that treatment because they disagreed with the political analysis of the then-ruling party. He urged the ruling party now not to give the same treatment to those who disagreed with it. He said in a free Zimbabwe, blacks could not turn against other blacks and act with the same cruelty in the same places, with the same handcuffs, as had been experienced in Rhodesia.

Tekere warned that some things just should not be done. Other people should not be treated with such cruelty for no reason. He said that the cruel satisfaction of such actions does not befit the people who manage a country.

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